How to Have an Effective Public Relations Campaign

by Karen S. Johnson, Demand Media

An effective PR campaign depends on great relationships.

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A public relations campaign can give your company or cause a boost in visibility without spending a great deal of money. You can never guarantee media coverage, but a few keys will increase your chances of an effective campaign: planning, research, selecting the correct media to target and understanding how the media work. PR is about relationships, so you need to invest time and effort so it's mutually beneficial, without taking shortcuts.

Create a Plan

Your plan is your campaign’s roadmap. Start with your campaign’s goal or broad vision. PR goals apply to three areas: reputation, relationships and tasks. A business reputation goal for a temporary employment agency might be “Be first in media’s mind when it comes to a temporary workforce issues.” Your objectives are more specific and measurable. One objective might be to increase the number of relevant media in your database by 20 percent in the next year. Strategies are how you will achieve this, such as media relations. Tactics are specific steps, such as writing a white paper.

Campaign Research

Use research before and after your campaign, and also to get publicity. Pre-campaign research gives you a benchmark to help you define your objectives. Employ an outside firm or use informal surveys. For example, email and call media and ask how many have heard of your company, both before and after the campaign. You also can publicize your own research to get publicity. If you notice an uptick in business, survey your customers and put results in a press release. For example, “Acme Employment Reports 70 percent of Customers Now Use Temporary Employees to Cut Costs.”

Media Research

Media research is an important component of any effective public relations campaign. You will conserve your resources and increase your chances of getting publicity by tightly targeting media to those who cover your industry. Start with a publication list, then find out what reporters cover your business or cause. If you can’t determine them, ask the managing editor. Once you have your reporter names, read some of their articles. Then email each individually with your information and a pitch, such as offering a more detailed interview. Do not send it as an impersonal email “blast."

Media Want News

You improve your chances of campaign success if you remember one key thing: media cover news. If you waste their time, you risk your credibility. It’s important, though, to realize that what isn’t news to one outlet, may be interesting to another. If you rent new office space, the "Wall Street Journal" won’t care, but your local business journal might. Your increase in business may not be newsworthy, but a customer survey that points to a changing business trend puts things in a newsworthy light. Tying a story to national events also can help -- for example, pending legislation that could affect your business.

About the Author

Based in Central Texas, Karen S. Johnson is a marketing professional with more than 30 years' experience and specializes in business and equestrian topics. Her articles have appeared in several trade and business publications such as the Houston Chronicle. Johnson also co-authored a series of communications publications for the U.S. Agency for International Development. She holds a Bachelor of Science in speech from UT-Austin.

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